The Flight
by SilentTrainConductor
Summary: BBC 2006 Version. An injury leads one of the outlaws on a journey. Oneshot.


_Summary_: How one falls, and how one soars.

_Characters/Pairing_: Robin-Much friendship.

_Notes_: Originally written in April, and was posted elsewhere, so it may look familiar to some. This was written without knowing where it would lead, as I was feeling artsy and needed to write instead of drawing. Hope you enjoy, my first Robin Hood fanfiction. All mistakes are my own.

Reviews are lovely and appreciated!

**The Flight**

He was surprised at how quickly he fell to his knees. He furrowed his brow in confusion, not exactly sure why his body was now falling forward towards the dirty earth. He felt strangely weak, and then it came. The pain hit him hard and sudden, and he gave a sharp wince as he fell upon the ground. Slowly he tried to locate the source of the pain, but it was useless, he had not the strength to move.

I'm going to die, he mused muddily. At least the last thing I feel shall be the earth, and not my pain. He took a deep breath, shuddered in content, and closed his eyes gently, ready for whatever awaited him.

Ah, how he enjoyed the sport of flight. Through the clouds he soared, high and free like a bird. Never had he felt so free. Never in all of his years of living, had such joy surrounded him.

What a beautiful sight indeed, to be up here, gazing down at the forest. The tall trees rising high and mighty, their tips swaying slightly. The songs of birds, singing tunes of joy and comfort as they led him forward, higher and higher into the sky. He found himself following the tiniest bird of the bunch, but it was also the boldest. It was a robin redbreast, and it struggled pitifully across the harsh winds, struggling, struggling until it was finally too weak and it found itself being blown away from its path.

Luckily the flyer was able to outstretch his arms and capture the small bird in his hands. The bird bristled slightly, planted its beak upon the man's pinky in a small gesture of thanks, and spread its wings once more and jumped.

Its wings fluttered nervously and erratically but finally he was able to conquer the wind, and he glided smoothly across the sky.

The flyer watched with much amusement, and in a moment of clarity, he continued to follow the bird. He was no match for the quick-witted robin in certain moments of the journey, but there were other instances in which he aided the robin find the correct path, and helped him get free from traps caused by imposing tree branches.

He had thought it to be pure joy being alone and free, but this was a different sort of a joy. It was one of purpose, and the greatest joy of the journey was when the robin decided to allow him to fly next to him. So they flew side by side, witnessing many horrors, and many triumphs.

Their kinship was strong, and they were able to conquer whatever came their way. 

However, the flyer began to grow weary of the flight. He felt his chest constrict in pain as he wheezed, and gasped, air coming in a shorter each time he took in a breath. The robin flew around him in frantic worry, trying to hold him up in the sky.

But it was useless, useless, and the pain grew fiercer and fiercer, and he felt himself fall. A most horrible feeling it was, to fall. Forceful blunts across his face hit him as he began hitting tree branches; he made himself turn around mid fall.

He was slightly surprised to see the robin joining him in his descent. It was a love and a sacrifice he had never experienced anywhere else. The robin followed with devotion and flew fast and hard, calling out his name in grief. The one in descent raised his arms once more and as he hit the ground with a painful crunch, he had the robin cupped in his hands and the bird was safe.

At the moment of his landing, he found himself, curiously enough, awake in the dark. Had he truly died a second time? He let his eyes study his surroundings; the walls were grimy and rough.

Certainly a different image from the sky he was flying so proudly in just moments before. He saw a figure hunched in sorrow near the corner of, what he now figured to be, the cave. A deeply etched picture of sorrow, he had his head bowed in grief, and was clutching something familiar in his hands. A piece of cloth. The confused man realized it was his own piece of cloth. The piece of cloth that kept his head warm many a cold night.

His mind slowly began making connections. They were still in the horrid cave, and this figure, surely it could not be his Master. Surely this could not be the proud Robin. His mouth moved slightly, but no words formed, and the man didn't look up. He tried harder; he used all his strength, and was sorely disappointed when all that came out was a skewed whisper of a name.

"Robin?" The injured man was bitter at the attempt, and yet the sound granted such a happiness and relief upon his Master's face, that the injured man's pride was restored.

"Much! Much! You're awake!" His master's cheeks were wet with relief, and Robin reached out and took Much into a tight embrace. Much, any other day, would have accepted the gesture without hesitation. However, on this very day, Much found himself wincing, and hissing as the movement caused him pain. Quickly his Master's arms were retracted and hasty apologies were offered. 

Slowly Robin's joy was replaced with a stern glance. This meant, Much realized, that only a few seconds of being awake and alive he was going to get in trouble with his Master.

Much cursed his muddled mind as he tried to remember what he had done, but all he could remember was flying. And surely, Robin would not be upset with him for flying?

"Why?"

Much was cold, and yet he was sweating, and in a confused panic he looked into his Master's eyes searching for the answer, and for the question. 

"Master, I am afraid I do not understand." He finally whispered.

"Do you not remember?" Robin's stern glance softened with worry and care, and Much shook his head.

"I do not." There was a pause that seemed to stretch out for days and nights long gone. Finally Robin answered, but he had his head bowed once more.

"You saved my life." Much was confused, and he found himself questioning out loud.

"You are upset with me, for being such a fool, and saving your life? Forgive me master, I shall not allow it to happen again." Robin shook his head in annoyance.

"It is not that Much, it is the way you saved my life, you willingly sacrificed yours." Another lengthy pause.

"Is that all?"

"How can you value your own life so poorly Much?" Robin cried out in anger "Is that all? Do you not realize how much you mean to me?" Much licked his lips nervously, what a position to be in, here he was on the floor weak and tired, and Robin above him in a rage.

"It is not…" Much began, "It is not that I value my life so poorly Master, surely, it is that I value yours so much more." Robin's eyes stood out, bright with clear emotions, against the harsh darkness of the cave.

"Did you not think of the consequences, the grief and guilt we all felt? You should have let it be me. The arrow was meant for me!"

"Master, had I let it have been you, would you not know the grief and guilt I would have felt?" Robin let his head fall into his hands in frustration, but Much wouldn't spare him, his former dry mouth was long gone as a passion of soul overtook him. "Now you know how I feel every single day, how you willingly toy with danger and death every day of your life, and I am filled with fear. The fear was never for myself Master, but for you." A brief pause, before Robin leaned in closer and whispered.

"I do not deserve you Much." Robin admitted as he clutched his friend's hand. Much sighed. 

"Ten years, ten years, and you are just now realizing the truth." Much gave a loving glance towards Robin, who bowed his head and chuckled in embarrassment.

"I am so happy, so glad Much, we all thought you were dead. When that arrow hit you, and you fell…my whole world…I felt as if I was falling."

"And I…" Much admitted "I was flying."

"Flying?" Robin questioned stroking his companion's damp hair.

"Oh but surely, I flew. It was a most glorious feeling."

"Indeed?" 

"Oh yes, I was very happy, the happiest I had ever been." At these words, Robin seemed to adopt a look of hurt, and so Much continued.

"Of course…" Much smiled, "The only reason I was so happy was because you were there."

"I was?" 

"Yes." Much nodded sternly. "We were having one last adventure soaring through the air and the clouds."

"But it was not your last adventure, it will not be."

"No, I suppose not. I suppose it was my first. I had never flown before." Much finished curiously, and Robin gave another laugh and leaned down to kiss his friend upon his sweaty forehead.

"Keep on flying my friend, for I shall be there next to you. Protecting you." Much looked into Robin's eyes, and with the same fierce determination he has shown many a time before, he spoke.

"As shall I."

_Fin_


End file.
